ICSI Versus Conventional IVF in Couples With Unexplained Infertility

NCT ID: NCT07294027

Last Updated: 2025-12-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

848 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-01

Study Completion Date

2028-07-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial aims to compare the live birth rate, fertilization outcomes, other pregnancy outcomes and safety between ICSI and conventional IVF among couples with unexplained infertility in China.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

A multicenter, large-scale, randomized controlled clinical trial will enroll 848 couples with unexplained infertility undergoing their first cycle of IVF or ICSI. The study will recruit participants from 6 Reproductive Medical Centers across mainland China. The participation in this study will be approximately 1 years with a total of 9 visits from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, pregnancy to delivery. On the day of oocyte retrieval, eligible participants will be allocated to either the ICSI group or the IVF group in a 1:1 ratio. All participants will be randomized through block randomization, and each center will enroll participants using a competitive enrollment method.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Unexplained Infertility

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Unexplained infertility Conventional in vitro fertilization Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This is a multicenter study. Each center enrolls participants using a competitive enrollment method and performs online randomization through the trial system. Using block randomization with a 1:1 allocation ratio, participants were assigned to either the ICSI group or the IVF group, with a block length set at 8. The trial system administrators were not involved in the treatment process. Eligible patients who provided informed consent were registered in the trial system by medical staff at each center on the day of oocyte retrieval. After entering participant information, the system automatically assigned patients based on pre-set parameters.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

To safeguard patients' right to know and in accordance with previous similar studies, this study adopted an open-label design. Both participants and recruiters will be aware of the group assignments.

However, the doctors performing embryo transfers, medical staff conducting routine prenatal check-ups and laboratory technicians analyzing biological samples will not be directly informed of whether patients participate in this clinical study and their grouping status.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

All patients will receive controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) treatment, which is performed by standard routines at each study center. The COH treatment includes either GnRH agonist protocol or GnRH antagonist protocol. Oocyte retrieval is scheduled for 36 (±2) hours after hCG injection. The retrieved cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) will be allocated to undergo ICSI procedure according to the result of randomization.

The first embryo transfer is performed using fresh embryo transfer (if without contraindication), limited to transferring 1-2 cleavage embryos or 1 blastocyst. The remaining available embryos will be frozen.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

ICSI

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Insemination will be performed by using ICSI, 2 hours after oocyte retrieval. COCs will be stripped by using hyaluronidase. Only matured oocytes (MII stage) will be injected. Fertilization check will be performed at period of 16-18 hours after injection.

Other standard assisted reproductive treatments are similar and parallel between two groups.

Conventional in vitro fertilization (c-IVF)

All patients will receive controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) treatment, which is performed by standard routines at each study center. The COH treatment includes either GnRH agonist protocol or GnRH antagonist protocol. Oocyte retrieval is scheduled for 36 (±2) hours after hCG injection. The retrieved cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) will be allocated to undergo conventional IVF procedure according to the result of randomization.

The first embryo transfer is performed using fresh embryo transfer (if without contraindication), limited to transferring 1-2 cleavage embryos or 1 blastocyst. If the embryos in the IVF group are fertilized through different methods (some with late-RICSI), the first embryo transfer is limited to embryos fertilized through conventional IVF. The remaining available embryos will be frozen.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

IVF

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Insemination will be performed by using conventional IVF, 2-4 hours after oocyte retrieval. Collected COCs will be inseminated (1-5×105 sperm/ml) and cultured overnight in culture medium. Fertilization check will be performed at period of 16-18 hours after insemination.

If the IVF group experiences total fertilization failure or a fertilization rate of less than 25%, late rescue ICSI (Late-RICSI) will be performed on all MII stage oocytes using semen retained on the day of egg retrieval. The injection method is same as standard ICSI.

Other standard assisted reproductive treatments are similar and parallel between two groups.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

ICSI

Insemination will be performed by using ICSI, 2 hours after oocyte retrieval. COCs will be stripped by using hyaluronidase. Only matured oocytes (MII stage) will be injected. Fertilization check will be performed at period of 16-18 hours after injection.

Other standard assisted reproductive treatments are similar and parallel between two groups.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

IVF

Insemination will be performed by using conventional IVF, 2-4 hours after oocyte retrieval. Collected COCs will be inseminated (1-5×105 sperm/ml) and cultured overnight in culture medium. Fertilization check will be performed at period of 16-18 hours after insemination.

If the IVF group experiences total fertilization failure or a fertilization rate of less than 25%, late rescue ICSI (Late-RICSI) will be performed on all MII stage oocytes using semen retained on the day of egg retrieval. The injection method is same as standard ICSI.

Other standard assisted reproductive treatments are similar and parallel between two groups.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Aged 20-38 years
2. 18.5 \< BMI \< 24kg/m2
3. Couples diagnosed with primary unexplained infertility:

* Regular menses or confirmed ovulation;

* Normal ovarian reserve;

* Patent fallopian tubes;

* Normal uterus and cervix;

* Normal endocrine profile;

* Semen analysis meeting WHO 6th edition criteria

* Normal karyotypes in both partners, no family history of genetic disorders
4. First IVF/ICSI cycle
5. Received GnRH agonist protocol or GnRH antagonist protocol
6. Willing to provide informed consent and comply with follow-up

Exclusion Criteria

1. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles
2. In vitro maturation (IVM) cycles
3. Using donor sperm/oocyte
4. Using frozen sperm/oocyte
5. \<5 oocytes retrieved
6. Abnormal semen parameters on the day of oocyte retrieval
7. High risk of tubal pathology or endometriosis without laparoscopic exclusion
8. Untreated or poorly controlled endocrine disorders
9. Abnormal immune related examinations
10. Major organ/system disorders (cardiac, hepatic, renal, oncologic, hematologic, psychiatric, etc.)
11. Concurrent participation in other clinical trials.
Minimum Eligible Age

20 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

38 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ningbo Women & Children's Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Xiangyang Central Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Huangshi Central Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Min Jin, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

Site Status

Huangshi Central Hospital

Huangshi, Hubei, China

Site Status

Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University

Wuhan, Hubei, China

Site Status

Xiangyang Central Hospital

Xiangyang, Hubei, China

Site Status

Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Site Status

Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital

Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China

Site Status

Ningbo Women & Children's Hospital

Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

China

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Min Jin, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +86-15925602121

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Xiaokui Yang

Role: primary

Junling Wang

Role: primary

Qingzhen Xie

Role: primary

Xuezhou Yang

Role: primary

Min Jin

Role: primary

Weiping Fu

Role: primary

Liming Zhou

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2025-0689

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id